


Transient

by CaseyJ0nes



Series: TMNT One Shots [1]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Blindness, Gen, Head Injury, One Shot, how the shit do you even tag these things?, just alllll the angst, serio angst yo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2018-08-13 23:41:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7990564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaseyJ0nes/pseuds/CaseyJ0nes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Definition: lasting only for a short time; impermanent.</p><p>Or at least Donnie hoped.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Transient

**Author's Note:**

> I was originally going to post a big collection of one shots but I decided to just post them all separately because I have no self-restraint. This would have been number 8.

Leo and Raph came rushing into the lair, Mikey, Casey and April following behind, while Donnie was carried between the two of them.

Mikey himself had his arm slung over Casey’s shoulder, limping his way in, Casey having a long bruise down the side of his face, and April was holding a piece of fabric over three long gashes on her arm, looking much like claw marks. Leo and Raph, who were both ignoring their injuries in favour of carrying their brother in, though both had similar gashes along their bodies. Raphael had a particularly bad one along his thigh, while Leo had a nasty one on his shoulder, much too close to his neck for anyone’s liking. 

Splinter met them in the common room, rushing towards them once he saw their condition, then directing them to the infirmary.

Leo and Raph laid Donnie on the infirmary bed, while Mikey had a seat on the bench they had dragged in some months ago. He held his injured ankle over his knee while watching his father look over Donnie.

Though Splinter was well and able to care for most injuries, Donatello’s medical knowledge far outweighed his own and it was times like this that they realized how underappreciated that knowledge really was. 

“Leonardo, what happened?” He asked, holding a finger to Donnie’s neck to check if his pulse was even.

“A really big, really strong mutant, with claws, and apparently a bloodlust for turtles,” Leo said, finding something to hold over his own bleeding shoulder, and handing another to Raph. “We’re guessing Shredder-made.”

“It was like a tiger-gorilla,” Mikey added in, “ _A Tigilla._ ”

“Maybe he finally got sick of Tiger Claw.” Casey added, “I know _I_ am.”

“What happened to your brother?” Splinter questioned next.

“The mutant went after Casey and Donnie. Donnie managed to push Casey out of the way but got himself thrown into a wall. He hit his head really hard, and then when he didn’t get back up we grabbed him and hightailed it out of there before anyone else got hurt.”

Splinter nodded, gently lifting Donnie’s head and feeling underneath for the large bump.

“He most likely has a concussion, and was knocked out as a result of the hit.” He looked down at Donnie’s plastron, seeing a few claw marks, most likely from when he was thrown. They were dull and seem to hold no harm. “We’ll have to watch him until he wakes up, then he’ll have to get a lot of rest. No strenuous activities, no screens, no lab.”

“So watch him more, is what you’re saying?” Raph rolled his eyes, Donnie was a hassle when sick, he hated just sitting around.

“Yes, but for now there is not much we can do, so Michelangelo, you are next.”

He checked each teen over, mending their cuts, wrapping Michelangelo’s ankle and confining him to keep off of it. That was much easier for Mikey than for Don, he had no problem sitting around as long as someone was there to wait on him.

Eventually, they all left the infirmary, save for Leo who said he’d watch Donnie. April and Casey decided to stay the night as it was already pretty late. Both spread out on different parts of the couch, Mikey in between them and Raph lounged out on the bean bag chair.

Raph and Leo ended up switching out around 4 so that Leo could get some sleep.

\------

It was around 6 when Raph finally heard Donnie make a sound, looking up from his magazine. he saw him reach up to rub his eyes before opening them.

He watched him blink again before a hand quickly reached up for his mouth, his eyes squeezed shut. Raph didn’t need to be a doctor to know what that meant, and quickly reached for a waste bin. He helped Donnie lean over the side of the bed to toss the contents of his stomach.

When it seemed like he was finished, Raph set the bucket away from him, making sure to divert his eyes, before he turned back to his brother.

He was lying back down, his eyes still shut as he held a hand to his head.

“How you doin’, Donnie?” Raph asked, looking over him.

Donnie let out a low moan, “Ugh, everything hurts.”

“Especially your head?” Raph guessed.

“ _Especially_ my head,” Donnie confirmed. “What happened?”

“You don’t remember?” He asked. “You were thrown into a wall. Probably got a concussion if the throbbing head and upchucking have any say in the matter.”

“Well, that probably explains _why_ I don’t remember what happened.” Donnie replied, moving an arm to rest over his eyes. “And why my head hurts so bad. How’re the others?”

“Better off than you. Mikey messed his foot up a bit, and the rest of us are just a little scratched up. ‘Cept Casey, actually. You pushed him out’a the way of the mutant and he landed right on his face. All bruised up from his jaw to his temple.”

“Oh, I saved Casey _then_ got smashed into a wall. What a wonderful evening I must have had.” Donnie said in a dry voice, but he didn’t bother hiding the smile on his face.

“Alright, if you’re good enough to joke, you’re good enough to sit alone for a minute. I’m gonna go grab Sensei, or Leo or whoever’s up.” He walked to the lab door, looking into the common room.

“Hey, guys.” April and Leo were the only two who roused from their sleep, and Master Splinter was most likely having his morning meditation. “He’s awake and _absolutely_ has a concussion.”

April and Leo were quick to get up and follow Raph back into the lab.

“How are you feeling, Donnie?” Leo asked, going up beside his bed, April on the other side with Raph.

“Oh you know,” Donnie replied, his shoulders moving slightly like he was trying to shrug, “’Had better, had worse.”

“We were so worried, Donnie. It was horrible watching you just- just _drop_ to the ground.” April told him, reaching for the hand not draped over his face and holding it in both of hers.

“Sorry, I’ll try not to let it happen again.” He joked, but both of the brothers could see the dopey smile blocked from April by his arm.

“Ya gonna open your eyes sometime today there, brainiac?” Raph asked.

“I would, but I’m slightly afraid to.” Donnie replied, “Concussions can often lead to light sensitivity. If it’s too bright in here, then it could very well push me into throwing up again, which is highly undesirable as there is next to nothing in my stomach.”

“I’ll go dim the lights, and you can give it a go.” Leo told him, walking over to flick all the light switches but one, only leaving the far corner of the room lit, as well as any lights from the machinery. It left the room with only enough light not to bump into things.

“You can try now, Donnie. It’s pretty dark in here.” April told him, and he slowly removed the arm from his face. His eyes remained shut for another few moments before he slowly opened them.

He blinked a couple of times, then reached up to rub his eyes and opened them again.

“I’m not going to react to any light, you could have left some of them on.” He told his oldest brother.

“I left the one in the corner on, I thought that would be enough.” Leo told him, walking back to the light switches, about to turn another on.

“There’s a light on?” He asked, his voice wavering ever so slightly.

“Yah, the ones over your desk.” Leo told him, then flicked on the next closest set.

“And you just turned another one on?” Donnie asked, having heard the click.

“Yes.” Leo told him, as April watched him for any sign of a reaction.

“It’s still dark.” Donnie told them, obvious fear in his voice now.

April moved her hand over his face, fingers spread wide. “Donnie, can you see my hand?” She asked, but knew her answer as Donnie’s eyes never changed position.

“No.” He replied, and she snapped her fingers, his eyes immediately jumping towards the sound.

Leo had flicked all the lights back on and walked back over. “I didn’t think you hit your head that hard.” Leo said, staring intently at his brother for any signs that he could see.

He blinked a few more times.

“I think- I think I’ll be fine. When-”

Raph cut him off very quickly. “Fine?! Donnie, you’re blind! That’s like- like, the complete opposite of fine!” He shouted, and Donnie moved a hand to his head, squeezing his eyes shut again.

“Be quiet.” He said very firmly, before continuing his explanation, in the calmest voice he could muster despite his terrible fear. A funny thought, he had never had to use his ‘doctor mode’ to calm others about himself before, it was always him calming themselves _about_ themselves. “As I was saying, I think I’ll be fine. When Leo turned the rest of the lights on, as I’m assuming he did, I think the dark got the slightest bit brighter. It’s most likely that I bruised the visual cortex, which is right at the back of your head, which is where I _hit_ my head coincidentally, and my vision loss is simply transient.” He waited a moment, and when they didn’t respond he added, “Meaning non-permanent.”

There was another pause before Leo spoke.

“So, you’ll get your vision back?”

“Most likely, and I’m going to choose to be optimistic in this particular case. I rather liked being able to see, after all. I probably just bruised it, or there’s some swelling putting pressure on it. Best case scenario, my vision will be back by the end of the week.” He was surprised at himself, being able to say all this without his voice wavering in the slightest. He really had no idea when his vision would come back, if it even would. It could be an hour, or days or weeks or never. No need to worry his family, though.

“Worst case scenario?” Leo asked hesitantly.

April laughed nervously, patting Donnie’s hand reassuringly, “Let’s not focus on ‘worst case scenarios’ and just focus on getting him better, okay?” She suggested.

“Yo, what up, do I hear the sound of happy chatter?” Mikey asked, popping his head into the room.

“I heard nervous laughter, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Casey added, walking in past him. “Hey, Don, glad to see you back with the living. Not gonna lie, you look like shit.”

“Better than you would’ve looked if I didn’t save your ass.” Donnie shot back, choosing to keep his eyes closed.

“Yah, Case. That mutant would’a _messed you up_.” Mikey laughed, bouncing towards Donnie, knowing enough to lower his voice as he got closer. “You feeling better, D?”

“Quite the contrary, actually. I feel much worse than I did when I was unconscious.” He told his youngest brother, opening his eyes and looking in the direction Mikey’s voice was coming from.

“You should probably dim the lights a bit, don’t you think?” Casey suggested. “I’ve had concussion’s before and the lights are _killer_.”

The three standing around the bed, who had already looked uneasy, shifted, all looking away. Donnie’s palm suddenly becoming much more interesting to April, while Leo decided to straighten out the blankets around Donnie’s legs.

Donnie closed his eyes with a sigh, and Raph finally huffed.

“The lights don’t bug’im because he’s blind! He can’t see! Not an inch in front of his face!”

The rest of the teens, excluding Donnie, gave him disbelieving looks, two in shock of the news, the other two in the way he delivered the news.

“What? They were gonna find out some way. Might as well be blunt about it. Donnie don’t roll your eyes, they’re useless right now anyways.”

“Oh, but they can still condone sarcasm in ways lost to the English language.” He replied, then felt another set of hands lean on the bed.

“Donnie, is it for real? You’re blind?” It was Mikey, and he felt him lean over him, most likely looking at his eyes.

“Yes.” He said and heard his youngest brother gasp, felt the hand waving in front of his face. “But only until the concussion is gone, I’m hoping. Just a bit of mild bruising of the brain. I’ll be better in no time.” He smiled comfortingly in hopes of comforting his youngest brother.

“Is your head hurting bad?” He asked next. “Are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you need anything? I can get you whatever you want!”

Donnie smiled, feeling obligated to get something just to fill his brother’s desire to help him. “I’d love some water,” he told him and heard Mikey sprint off immediately. 

“So, your eyes are useless, huh? Bummer.” Casey said, and Donnie gave a small laugh.

“Wow, that’s more compassion than I’ve ever heard from you, Jones.” He joked, turning in the direction of the voice. “I’d watch it; people might start thinking you actually care.”

Casey shifted on his feet as he saw Donnie’s eyes look towards him, not really looking at him. It was kind of unnerving since it had happened because Donnie had shoved him out of the way.

“Well, y’know, seein’s important and junk.” He shrugged, then thought for a moment, “You can’t see it but I’m shrugging.”

Donnie let out a genuine laugh, “If the next week is full of people dictating their actions to me I’m going to lose my mind.” He slipped his hand out of April’s and pointed behind her. “Someone get me that bucket, I’m gonna throw up again.”

\-----

A few days passed and Donnie stayed confined to bed, or when he could make the walk, the couch.

His brother’s, April and Casey tried to find ways to entertain him, since he couldn’t read, or work, or watch TV, or really do much at all. Especially when the dizziness and nausea started to fade from just sitting up.

By the end of the week, he was feeling much better, even able to walk around on his own without feeling ill in the slightest way, though headaches were still common if he moved too quickly.

Unfortunately, and something that kept his brothers, father and friends, as well as himself though he didn’t let on, very unnerved, his eyesight hadn’t begun to return in the slightest. The world was still as dark as it had been when he first woke up.  Though he could move around the lair just fine, years of living there committing it to memory, he wasn’t allowed a step a foot out the door.

His brothers, however, still went on patrol, Donnie urging them on himself. After all, evil didn’t stop just because his eyes decided too. April, and sometimes Casey too, would stay behind and keep him company, watching movies they had seen a million times because Donnie knew what was going on.

But it had only been 10 days and he was going stir-crazy. He couldn’t stand being underground so long after spending so much of his life stuck in the confines of the sewers.

“I need fresh air.” He groaned, sliding further down the couch as April watched. “I’m suffocating.”

“Stop being so dramatic, Donnie.” April teased. “Why don’t you just ask Master Splinter if we can go for a walk. Not patrol, just in the park or something. It’s like, 11, no one will really be out.” She suggested and he gave her a look, or he gave her general direction a look.

“Are you kidding? Splinter is worried enough about me as it is, he didn’t let me walk on my own until a few days ago, he’s not gonna let me leave.” He frowned, rolling onto his stomach. “This was going to happen to one of us eventually, he should have prepared himself.”

“Did you?” April asked, a brow raised.

“Yeah. A back closet, covered by a cabinet. I didn’t want them to find it, didn’t want them to get nervous or anything. But there are specially designed hearing aids, a voice box, specially made leg braces, you can never be too prepared.” He told her, leaning back up to look towards her, a sad smile on his face as he gave an equally as small shrug. “Unfortunately, there’s no fixing eyes once they go black.”

“You said by the end of the week, Donnie.” April told him, sounding slightly accusing, though it was mostly fear in her words. “Were you lying to us? To make us feel better?” She asked.

“No, I was being completely factual. You can bruise the back of your head, and your vision can be impaired for a matter of time. It can last from an hour, to a few weeks, but sometimes, it y’know, just doesn’t come back.” He shrugged. “It’s a possibility I’m trying to prepare for, but it’s hard. Everything I did involve seeing. I won’t be able to draw up plans, won’t be able to read, no building, no designing, no fixing, no creating, no first aid, and I’ll definitely have a hard time fighting if Sensei ever lets me above ground again.” He leaned back on his shell, staring blindly up towards the ceiling. “Which is doubtful,” he added forlornly. “I won’t even be able to watch new shows or play video games since our TV doesn’t have descriptive viewing and I can’t even set it up now.”

“But, I’m not ready to give up just yet. Three weeks, I’m giving it. That’s usually the longest temporary blindness lasts. It can last longer, but it’s very rare. Don’t know what I’ll do after that, though,” He told her. “I’ll be completely useless.”

April didn’t know how to reply.

\-----

Since his talk with April Donnie had been trying to keep his hopes high, at least outwardly, if for nothing more than his family. It was relatively easy, especially since she hadn’t brought up the conversation to his family. He could get around on his own, though he used his bo as a walking stick of sorts, and whenever they could his brother’s tried to help him out, or find some way to keep him entertained.

But there was a lot of downtime where he found himself just sitting on the couch, staring off into the blank space that had become his world. He tried to never let them catch him like that, most of the time by keeping headphones on, regardless of whether anything was coming out of them. At least he looked like he was just relaxing, or just listening to a book.

He had never let them see how upset he was until a little over halfway through the second week.

Mikey had made everyone breakfast, omelettes with varying pizza toppings that you could eat around if you cared that much. There was an epic fight going about whether or not Space Heroes could actually exist in some alternate dimension. Mikey was all for it because it would be awesome, Leo just because maybe somehow he could get there, Raph against it because nothing that stupid could actually exist, and Donnie impartial since there was a possibility but it was highly doubtful.

Leo got up, collecting his dishes before they went off to the dojo, Mikey gasped, “Guys, if that one could exist what’re the odds that an entire universe made of pizza could exist?!”

“Didn’t you have that dream already?” Raph asked, and Mikey huffed.

“ _No_. That was a pizza mutant turning everyone into human pizza and weird calzones.” He told him, pushing his stool away from the table and grabbing both his and Donnie’s dishes, bringing them to the sink.

Donnie got up from his seat, pushing the stool in, and held his hand to the edge of the table, making sure he didn’t hit the corner. Getting around fine, he walked forwards, ready to head off to the dojo. Upon Donnie’s accident, they had been doing more blind training, learning to sense their opponent rather than see them. They believed Donnie’s eyesight was coming back, but it was a good lesson regardless.

On his third step, he felt himself step down on the edge of Mikey’s discarded stool, still pushed out from the table. Before he could catch himself, before he even fully realized what was happening, he was on the floor next to the toppled over stool.

His brothers who hadn’t been paying attention and had only turned around at the noise, saw their brother sat on the ground. He wasn’t reacting, which was worrying, just staring down at the ground.

Leo moved a step closer, “Donnie? Are you okay?” He asked, ready to leap forwards if Donnie showed any sign of pain.

Instead, he was met with him violently shoving the stool away from him. He stood up and left the kitchen, grabbing his staff on the way out just to be able to feel when he came to the stairs and not trip his way up them.

His brother’s remained in the kitchen, all flinching at the sound of his brother’s bedroom door slamming shut.

April showed up a moment later, a worried look on her face.

“What happened?” She asked.

“He tripped over the stool, and stormed off.” Leo said, standing the stool back up.

Mikey frowned, “I don’t get it, his concussion is gone, he doesn’t even get headaches anymore! Why can’t he see yet?”

April frowned, “Mikey...” She hesitated and looked at them all rather than just the youngest. “Guys… His eyesight might not come back.” She told them.

“What are you talking about? Donnie said it would. A couple of weeks tops.” Raph said.

“Yeah, best case scenario. That worst case you asked for Leo? Blind for good. Three weeks is almost up, and that’s all he had hope for. If it’s coming back, it’s taking too long and he’s giving up. He’s been getting worse and worse every time you guys go out for patrol without him.”

The brother’s looked shocked, staring at her with wide eyes.

“Why- Why didn’t he tell us?” Leo asked.

April shrugged. “He didn’t want you guys to worry, didn’t want to stop you from going on patrol. He hates being locked down here and didn’t want the same for you.” She looked back to his room, “I’m going to go try and talk to him.” She said, then turned away towards the bedrooms.

She was hesitant to knock at first, but eventually brought her hand down on the door a few times.

“Donnie?” She asked, opening the door when he didn’t answer. “Donnie, are you okay.” It was dark in his room, and he was lying on his bed, on arm propped under his head while he stared blankly up at the ceiling.

“April, when did you get here?” He asked without turning his head towards her.

“A few minutes ago. You rushed passed me in the living room.” She told him, stepping further into the room and flipping on the small lamp on his desk to give the room a muted glow.

“Oh, sorry,” He said, then added in a bitter voice, “I didn’t _see_ _you_.”

April sighed, walking to his bed to lay down beside him, staring towards the ceiling “Your brothers told me what happened.” She said, and he let out his own sigh.

“I over-reacted.” He said simply.

“Donnie, you’re going through a really hard time right now, no one blames you for getting angry.” She told him, grabbing his hand and rubbing it gently. “We can only imagine what you’re going through right now. I mean, Raph and Leo get overly angry when an injury keeps them in for a night. You’ve been down here for two weeks.”

“And five days.” He added.

“What?” She asked, turning her head to look towards him.

“Two weeks and five days.” He said again. “Nearly three weeks.”

April sat up, looking down at him. The arm that had been under his head moved to rest over his eyes, but she saw a small trail of wetness escaping, running down his cheek and dripping down on the bed.

He gave a humourless laugh. “Figures. My eyes are useless but my tear ducts are perfectly functional.”

“Donnie?” April asked, wiping the tears off his face.

Donnie shook his head, “I don’t know what to do, April. I don’t want to give up, but it hurts to keep hoping. I see everything in my dreams, and then I just wake up to the same blackness over and over again. I can’t take it. I miss reading, I miss watching TV, using my laptop. I’m practically _useless_ now. I miss seeing my brothers and my father.” He paused for a few seconds. “I miss seeing you.”

**Author's Note:**

> This fic started out with the question, “What is the most valued sense to Donnie?” And it was a tossup between Sight and Speech. Sight won out in the long run. 
> 
> Feel free to come chat it up at my tumblr, CaseyJ0nes, I am also very open to requests.


End file.
